Offer GBL Green Points to Customers

Chicago, IL (PressExposure) January 01, 2010 -- So far, it has been difficult to discover if a company under consideration legitimately offers a serious Green product or service. Much of the promoted environmental value of a product is built upon self-asserted claims, and the buying public has little or no proof for the real merit of such claims. The Green Business League has announced a new program where any company can apply and be awarded Green Points for their product, but the claims must be honest!

The GBL Green Points are not merely for show or boast. They are part of a larger system of Green business certification. When the Green Business League awards points, these points can be applied to a Green business certification program. Under this unique strategy, any customer can acquire points toward its Green business certification based upon a verifiable standard of compliance.

No two companies are ever the same, and no two companies will address the environmental issues alike. The GBL Green Points system allows any company to improve the environmental compliance by searching out legitimate Green products and services as part of its routine purchases. When the company accumulates 100 points, a simple review will substantiate solid environmental improvement by the company. Greenwashing is virtually eliminated because the Green value is not coming from the company's marketing department. The Green Business League has no vested interest or financial reward for awarding GBL Green Points. The application fee is $100, so there is no monetary motivation for the GBL review to cheat the system.

As a simple example, replacing old vacuums with HEPA vacuums is a transitional kind of cost because the vacuums will eventually be phased out anyway. Changing from virgin paper to recycled paper is a similar transition. Hiring a Green certified janitorial service is also easily done. But, what credit does a company get for these small decisions? In most cases, there is no reward except that found in doing the right thing. Using the GBL Green Points system, each of these decisions deserve some recognition no matter how small.

It is no small undertaking to maintain a national point system, and it is even more challenging to verify compliance. The Green Business League is the only company capable of the task with more than 250 Certified Green Consultants nationwide and in Canada. Because there is no allegiance to any one company, the independent third-party evaluation of GBL Green Points provides a clear pattern for unbiased and honest environmental improvement at any level of business application.

Though the fee is low, not every product or service will qualify for GBL Green Points because the claims of environmental value cannot be proven. Companies without Green Points cannot claim that it takes a long time or the fees are too expensive. There is simply no reason that a good product or service cannot apply for this third-party program. The only reason that any company does not have GBL Green Points is the fact that their product or service does not have an honest Green value. "Buyer Beware."

Every company acquiring the GBL Green Point system receives an assigned point value. It could b 2, 4, 6, 10, 25 or more points based upon a national system already in place. A logo is provided to the vendor that displays the point award. In this fashion, any customer has a ready reference that is reliable and allows the company to take progressive steps toward a Green operation.

Some think in terms of Green buildings or Green products only, but what about the thousands of activities accomplished every day in a business? Vacuum cleaners, paper use, and janitorial services are merely the tip of the Green challenge. Hundreds of daily activities need to be changed. Powerstrips on electrical equipment, recycling projects, the type of paint used in the next project, or improvement of the lighting system are just a few examples. When we add up all the things that could be done, the opportunities are many. Therefore, providing a method to Green Up the operation of a business seems more than smart.

Tracking performance is as easy as creating a file where all GBL Green Point products and services are kept. When a company has reached the 100 point level, the Green Business League will review the verification of these programs and award an earned (not purchased) Green business certification.

The public needs to be aware that the market is now awash with Internet websites offering "bought certifications" that require only a few self-assessment questionnaires and a fee of a few hundred dollars. These programs are disreputable and lack the integrity to be trusted by the buying public. Green business certification through the Green Business League is proudly proclaimed to be "Earned and not Bought." This is one system that cannot be cheated, and a certification that stands upon honest Green Practices that can be easily demonstrated through actual, verified performance.

About Green Business League

R Michael Richmond is the Director of the Green Business League [http://www.greenbusinessleague.com], and writes for the Green Business View blog.